


'cause all i know is we said "hello"

by QueenIsabelle



Series: Zutara Month 2020 [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Day 3: Chance Encounter, F/M, Fluff, Katara and Toph are roommates, Modern AU, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Tea shop AU, The Jasmine Dragon (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zutara Month, Zutara Month 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24098554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenIsabelle/pseuds/QueenIsabelle
Summary: Day 3: Chance EncounterKatara just wanted to try out the new tea place that her roommate was raving about. She really didn’t expect to leave the place with a date.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zutara Month 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736344
Comments: 5
Kudos: 247





	'cause all i know is we said "hello"

Stepping into the Jasmine Dragon for the first time, Katara wasn’t certain what her roommate saw in the place. Not that Toph actually _saw_ anything. Sure, it was quaint and homey, but neither of those things screamed ‘Toph’ to Katara. There were little tables scattered around the place, most of them filled with people, and bookshelves filled with teapots and other tea-related things. Behind the counter was a jolly-looking old man, and behind him were several shelves filled with jars of tea leaves.

Katara made her way to the counter and smiled at the man, who had not stopped smiling cheerfully since she had set foot in the door.

“Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. Is this your first time visiting?” the man asked.

“Uh, yes. My friend told me to come here, said it was the best tea she’s ever had,” Katara said.

“Such high praise! And who is your friend?” The man asked.

“Toph?” The statement came out like a question, but Katara didn’t see how this man could possibly keep track of all of the customers, especially a man at his age. Surely he couldn’t have that good of a memory?

“Ah, Miss Beifong! You must be Katara!” the man said.

Katara blinked. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I am. How did you know that?”

“Toph has told me all about you. I’ve taken to keeping her company while she drinks her daily cup, and I’m afraid we’re quite the gossipers. My name is Iroh, but you can call me Uncle.” The man, Iroh, pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil. “What can I get for you, Miss Katara?”

“Oh, uh, I’m afraid I’m not very well-versed in tea. What do you recommend?”

A twinkle formed in Iroh’s eye. “I have just the thing for you. Please, sit down, and we will bring it right out.” Iroh gestured to the seating area and turned back to the shelves. Katara, at a loss for anything better to do, sat down at a small table in the corner of the shop. From there, she surveyed her fellow tea-drinkers.

Two of the tables were occupied by what appeared to be a book club full of middle-aged women. They were giggling scandalously over their cookies about the latest chapter of _Fifty Shades Darker_ ; a few of them kept looking over their shoulders as if they were expecting to get caught. One table was a study group, while several others just had one or two students with laptops and books stacked beside them. And then there was the final table where four teenage girls sat. They, too, were giggling, but Katara couldn’t tell over what.

She shrugged, satisfied with her people watching for the day, and pulled out her phone. She took a picture of the shop and posted it to her Snap story. Then, she opened her messages and sent one to Toph: _waiting for this life-changing tea_

Almost immediately, Toph replied: _trust me, your life will be changed before you leave the shop_

Katara rolled her eyes. She began to type a reply to her friend but was interrupted by a wave of hot liquid splashing against her side.

“Fuck!” Katara stood up abruptly, knocking her chair back and nearly overturning the table. It was out of surprise more than pain—she was wearing a rather thick sweater that absorbed the majority of the liquid—and her eyes were wide as she looked up to see who had just dumped a pot of tea on her.

“Agni, I’m so sorry!” The guy, who seemed to be a couple of years older than Katara, was bright red, his mouth open as he spewed apologies. He produced a rag from his back pocket and stepped forward as if to begin drying her off. He paused halfway through the motion, though, and held the rag out to her as an offering.

“Oh, uh, thanks,” Katara said, grabbing the cloth. She wiped at her hands, but there was no saving her sweater. Katara sighed and pulled it over her head, leaving her in just a black tank top. As the fabric cleared her eyes, Katara made eye contact with the guy once more; she blushed hard. Setting her sweater over the back of the chair, she quickly grabbed the rag to begin mopping up the tea on the table as the guy dropped to his knees to pick up the shattered remains of the drinkware he’d been carrying.

“I am so sorry,” the guy said again. “I slipped. My uncle must have mopped or something.”

“It’s okay. Accidents happen.” Katara tossed a gentle smile at the guy. He gave a wry smile back, then dropped his head, letting his shaggy black hair obscure his golden eyes.

“Zuko!” Iroh suddenly appeared beside the two. “What happened here? Are you alright, Miss Katara?”

“I’m fine,” Katara said, straightening up.

“The floor was surprisingly slippery, Uncle. I didn’t realize you’d mopped,” the guy, Zuko, said, looking up at Iroh suspiciously. Iroh simply shrugged and turned back to Katara.

“I apologize for my clumsy nephew, Miss Katara. I’ll make another batch of tea for you, free of charge.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Katara protested, but Iroh shook his head and retreated back behind the counter. Katara sighed and looked down at the wet rag in her hand. It was then that she remembered Zuko at her feet. “Oh, let me help you with that!” Zuko began to shake his head, but Katara was already beside him, gently sweeping the shards into a tidy pile away from the spilled tea.

“I really am sorry,” Zuko said after a moment of cleaning in silence. Katara smirked.

“You said that already,” she pointed out.

“I might have to say it a few more hundred times,” he replied, glancing up at her through his lashes. Katara’s breath caught at the sight. She coughed and looked down as she began to mop up the tea with the rag. Off to the side, Katara could hear giggling once more. She peeked over at the table of girls, who were prodding at one in the middle and pointing at Katara. Or rather, pointing at Zuko. Katara laughed under her breath. She wondered how many of the Jasmine Dragon’s customers came for the tea or for the cute waitstaff.

“So, you’re Katara?” Zuko asked. Katara blinked and gave him a puzzled look.

“Yes… And you’re Zuko?”

“No, I mean, yes, my name is Zuko. I just meant… Toph talks about you a lot. It’s nice to put a face to the name.”

“How often does Toph come here?” Katara had assumed the younger girl had visited a few times, but clearly, she was coming enough to be a regular.

“Every day for the past few weeks. Pretty much since we opened. She and Uncle gossip like the book club ladies over there.” Zuko smiled to himself at that. Katara found herself smiling in return.

“And they gossip about me? Tui and La,” she said in exasperation.

“Only good things, I promise.”

“Well, thanks for keeping my reputation clean.”

“No problem. Wish I could say the same about your sweater.”

Katara laughed loudly. She brought a hand up to cover her mouth, but she couldn’t help the mirthful chuckles that continued. After a minute, her laughter subsided. Zuko was on his feet now and offered a hand to help her up. She gladly took it, letting her fingers linger a moment longer than necessary on his own. Slowly, he pulled away and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck.

“I’m gonna go get the broom to sweep this up. Uncle should be back soon with your tea. I’ll have him deliver it this time,” he said.

Katara nodded sagely. “We wouldn’t want any more mishaps.”

Zuko flinched slightly. “I honestly can’t apologize enough for this.”

Katara folded her arms across her chest and looked down at her feet, pulling her lip between her teeth. Psyching herself up. She took in a deep breath and looked back at Zuko.

“Well, if you really want to apologize, you could take me out for coffee,” she said. Zuko looked at her, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“That does seem only fair,” he agreed. “So I should give you my number, so we can set something up.”

“I agree completely.”

Thirty minutes later, Katara left the Jasmine Dragon with her second (third?) serving of tea in a to-go cup and Zuko’s number in her phone.


End file.
